By Pavla Zakova-Laney, President of Educare-Africa
- On May 14th, 2009 I arrived successfully in Yaounde, Cameroon. Mr. Emmanuel Sunjo, our country coordinator, picked me up at the airport and drove me to a rest house. The following day I picked up our funds.
- On May 18th, Mr. Sunjo and I traveled to Limbe to visit one of our former students, Verbe Ajime Tina, who was posted there to teach biology at the Government Secondary School Bonadikombo. We met the principal, Mrs. Dorothy and the staff, talked to the students in all four classrooms and observed the interaction of Tina with her students.
- Basic school supplies for 96 best students from G.H.S. Tatum, G.S.S. Nseh and G.H.S. Ntumbaw were purchased and given during prize giving ceremonies on May 28th and 29th. Donated toothbrushes, toothpastes and other donations were distributed to 58 students. 14 Joy & Success Clubs in various schools received donated spiritual books and Daily Word magazines. 38 students received financial assistance for their immediate needs such as school fees, G.C.E. registration fees, rent, kerosene food, school uniforms, shoes and transport to their villages. 100 students received pens and pencils. About 85 staff members from G.H.S. Tatum, G.S.S. Nseh and G.H.S. Ntumbaw received pens for encouragement. Science lab equipment for G.H.S. Ntumbaw was purchased and during the summer some essential textbooks will also be purchased for the students from the funds set aside from trip 2009. Funds for students on our priority list and other students were set aside to pay school fees directly to the schools in September. Ywo Wellesley College Book Awards were given to the best females science students from G.H.S. Ntumbaw and G.B.H.S. Kumbo.
- On May 23rd I arrived in Tatum. On May 26th I went to G.B.H.S. Ndu and G.B.H.S. Nkambe to inform the students about re-applications and scholarship applications for new students. On May 28th and 29th Mr. Kevin and I drove to G.S.S. Mbu-Warr, G.S.S. Nseh, G.H.S. Ntumbaw and G.H.S. Tatum, where we also distributed prizes in the last three of them.. On Saturday, May 30th, we met with our students at G.B.H.S. Kumbo, arranged for our new representative there and presented a Wellesley Book Award to the best female science student.
- On June 6th we met with our students in Bamenda and at Bambili, on June 24th with university students in Buea and on July 1st with students in Yaounde. In Tatum, we met and discussed with students and parents on June 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th and 20th. During my trip we chose 135 students to assist. We will continue to look for more females.
- On June 7th, Wirba Pascal and I visited Mbinkar Victor, one of my former students, at Bangante, West Region of Cameroon, where he now owns a small bakery. In addition, he provides holiday jobs for needy students and looks for ways to help stray animals. For that purpose he found a veterinary nurse and a veterinarian so that together in collaboration with S.P.A.L.E. they can assist more animals. I gave them some of the donations in-kind too. All our activities have been documented with photographs and some video clips and you can view most of them on our blog.
- During our annual board meeting on June 11th in Bamenda, we decided to make some changes in the way we recruit new students in order to make the process more efficient. In addition, to inspire more outstanding female students to apply, we will award a special monetary prize next year to a female student from Form Three with an average of at least 18.6/20. Our goal is to assist 60% female and 40% male students. We gave an opportunity to 50 new students to apply for scholarship in the 2009/2010 year. Our first fundraising event in Cameroon is planned for November.
- On June 18th, a short wave radio donated by a new non-profit group in North Carolina called the Ears to Our World was handed over to a teacher at G.S.S. Mbu-Warr which is located in a remote part of the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It was the first of many to come sometime this summer.
- Since the Cameroon government established Tatum as a Subdivision, new offices will be coming in and new buildings built. Most other building projects have been stopped until further notice including our Educare-Africa Center. We continue to set aside some money for our first vehicle each time we send funds to Cameroon. Our first choice is a Toyota Hilax double cabin pick up but we may find it necessary to start with a smaller vehicle. We need about $8,500 to purchase the pick up and $2,800 for registration, necessary documents, insurance, tires, fuel, maitenance and unforseen expenses for the first year.
- As a side project, Justin Tagne from the Cameroon Baptist Center in Bamenda and I organized the handing over of donations in-kind from the Reid Veterinary Hospital, Albany Animal Hospital, Periwinkle Pet Clinic in Albany and Hopes Haven Rescue group in Salem. Justin will continue to work with veterinarian, Dr. Munki Julius Nfor, who is a coordinator for a non-profit group S.P.A.L.E., P.O. Box 5170 Nkwen Bamenda, Cameroon; Tel: (237) 75-14-92-85, which also assists stray dogs. Dog Whisperer DVDs have been shown to many dog owners and other interested individuals in Bamenda and Tatum. About 45 dog owners, breeders, veterinarians and children participated.
UPCOMING ASSISTANCE
We hope to assist about 125 secondary/high school students and about 25 university students. Approximately $10,000 by mid September 2009 would take care of these students' essential educational needs. Since the dealine for payment of school fees is in mid September, it would be desirable to have the funds available before September 15th. When the school fees and the GCE exam registration fees are not paid in time, students are often sent home from school, which has a detrimental effect on their exam results.
Dear Friends and supporters,
On behalf of the students in Cameroon I want to thank you very much for your loving care and continuing generous support. Appreciation of our assistance by the students, parents, teachers and the whole community has been immense. Let us continue in this spirit and let us work together to help those less fortunate...
Love, Pavla
"I am dedicating myself to the love of God and the love of my neighbor as myself. I am dedicating myself to serving 'the least of these my brethren,' and the greatest along with the least."
Joel S. Goldsmith, Consciousness Is What I Am
